1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to fluid flow control valves and, more particularly, but not exclusively, is concerned with such valves suitable for use as drainage valves for body fluid storage containers.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Persons who suffer from incontinence can benefit from the provision of a urine drainage bag suspended against one of their legs. The bag has beneath its lower edge a manually operable, fluid flow control valve, normally set to a closed disposition but operable by the wearer for movement to an open disposition to empty the bag of urine.
It is convenient to treat the assembly of bag and valve as a "disposable" item, that is, an item having a relatively short service life compared with the lives of other items with which it cooperates in use, the bag being disconnected from these items at the end of its useful life and replaced by a fresh bag, perhaps taken from a multiple pack of such bags. There is accordingly a need for the construction of the bag and valve assembly to be as cheap and easy to manufacture as is consistent with its use.
As users will often wish to wear the drainage bag under trousers, there is a need for the valve in its closed disposition to be free from projections and sharp surfaces. Further, it is desirable that a user should be well aware of the fact, whenever the valve is accidentally allowed to remain in the open disposition after drainage of the bag. One way of achieving this is to arrange for the manually operable part of the valve to stand proud of the valve body when in the open disposition, and not to stand proud when in the closed disposition.